Republic of China, 1928: Starting from a Wonton Shop

On the second day of the Lunar New Year, according to old customs, it is the day for married daughters to return to their parents' home. There are many more people visiting relatives on the streets, with a constant stream of people carrying boxes of snacks and driving donkey carts.

Li Chunsheng didn't need to go since he wasn't married, and Yunniang's family had all passed away, so there was even less reason for her to return.

In the backyard of Li's Restaurant, Li Chunsheng was sitting on a stone bench, watching Yaya clumsily kicking a shuttlecock in the snow. Yunniang was busy frying the remaining dumplings in oil. With a sizzling sound, the aroma wafted over on the wind.

Just then, the familiar system notification sounded in Li Chunsheng's mind again:

As the year draws to a close, restaurants enter a new year.

[New Year Opening Gift Package Now Available: New Cuisine Launched.]

Please choose one of the following three cuisines: Sichuan cuisine, Zhejiang cuisine, Huaiyang cuisine, or Cantonese cuisine.

Li Chunsheng rubbed his chin, a wry smile appearing on his lips: "It's the eight major cuisines again, and it's another choice of four. I haven't even mastered Hunan cuisine yet, and here comes another one."

Huaiyang cuisine, Cantonese cuisine, and Zhejiang cuisine all appeared in the previous option, so it seems the system is still determined to succeed.

Li Chunsheng didn't even glance at these three options; he immediately set his sights on Sichuan cuisine.

Sichuan and Hunan cuisines are highly compatible. Although the restaurant now mainly serves Mao-style braised pork, Li Chunsheng also knows how to make twice-cooked pork, which is essentially a Sichuan dish. Hunan cuisine is spicy in its fragrant spiciness and sour spiciness; Sichuan cuisine is spicy in its numbing spiciness and fresh aroma. Combining the two makes them a perfect husband-and-wife team.

Furthermore, Sichuan cuisine is characterized by its rich, oily, and vibrant colors, emphasizing the versatility of each dish and its ability to complement rice. For the main customer base of restaurants—laborers and individual diners—nothing is more appealing than spicy and numbing hot pot dishes that make them willing to spend money. Moreover, although Sichuan cuisine uses a variety of seasonings, the main ingredients are often not expensive.

"That's him!"

[Host selects: Sichuan cuisine.] [Please choose one of the following three recipes as your reward:]

【A. Sliced ​​Beef and Offal in Chili Sauce (with advanced techniques for making chili oil)】

【B. Mapo Tofu (with a secret recipe for enhancing the flavor with ground beef)】

【C. Boiled Sliced ​​Pork (with techniques for tenderizing the pork and drizzling oil)】

Husband and Wife Lung Slices are a cold dish. Although they are spicy and flavorful, the restaurant opened on the third day of the Lunar New Year. It was freezing cold, and everyone wanted to have a hot soup and something piping hot when they came in. The appeal of the cold dish was ultimately less.

Mapo tofu is excellent, with the lowest cost and the widest appeal, making it a good choice. It's a pity that even though you have four twos, you're hampered by a royal flush.

When it comes to Sichuan cuisine, the first dish that comes to mind for most people is boiled sliced ​​pork!

This dish is the culmination of Sichuan cuisine.

First of all, it has a strong visual impact. When a spoonful of boiling oil is poured onto dried chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns with a "sizzle", the whole restaurant will probably be filled with that rich aroma.

Secondly, it has excellent compatibility; you can place cabbage, bean sprouts, or any other vegetables underneath, which makes it easier to control costs during the winter when vegetables are scarce. The meat slices are tender and can be eaten by everyone from the very young to toddlers.

Finally, it's an absolute rice killer. That bright red and rich broth, mixed with white rice, is irresistible!

[Ding! Congratulations, host, you have obtained the recipe: Boiled Sliced ​​Pork.]

[Rewards will be given for the techniques of preparing sliced ​​meat and pouring oil.]

"Chunsheng, what are you thinking about? Time to eat your fried dumplings." Yunniang came over with a plate of fried dumplings and saw Li Chunsheng standing there in a daze, so she spoke up.

"Sister-in-law, I'm thinking about new dishes for our opening tomorrow." Li Chunsheng took a plate of dumplings, took a crunchy bite, his mouth full of oil, "We're opening on the third day of the Lunar New Year, and I'm thinking of introducing some new dishes."

"You're going to come up with new dishes?" Shen Xiuyun was taken aback. "We're already too busy with braised pork and stewed dishes."

"Running a restaurant is like rowing against the current; if you don't move forward, you fall behind. If you don't introduce new dishes, no matter how delicious they are, people will get tired of them. I'd like to introduce another dish: boiled sliced ​​pork!"

"Okay, whatever you want to make, your sister-in-law will prepare it for you."

Li Chunsheng opened the door, and on the snow where Master Tong had knelt yesterday, only a mess of footprints remained; the man was nowhere to be seen.

Li Chunsheng felt nothing. In Beijing, people froze to death on the roadside or starved to death in drafty, unknown rooms every day.

If a person like Master Tong doesn't change his mindset, no one can save him.

The suffering in this world cannot be relieved.

Although the market on the second day of the Lunar New Year was not as lively as usual, Butcher Zheng's meat stall was still set up early.

"Hey, Manager Li, Happy New Year! Can't wait to get started? And you want the best pork belly?" Butcher Zheng was beaming, clearly having had a good rest these past few days.

"Happy New Year, Happy New Year! Today, in addition to the pork belly, give me ten pounds of top-quality pork tenderloin." Li Chunsheng said, picking up a piece of pork tenderloin from the cutting board and examining it.

Butcher Zheng was taken aback: "Pork tenderloin? Although that meat is tender, it can't withstand stewing. It won't bring out the flavor of braised pork."

"Instead of stewing braised pork, let's try a different way of cooking it." Li Chunsheng smiled, without offering further explanation.

After buying the meat, he wandered around the spice shop. Sichuan cuisine is all about the spices, so he specifically picked out the best broad bean paste, Sichuan peppercorns, and dried chili peppers, which the restaurant didn't have.

Back at the shop, Yunniang was already busy in the kitchen.

"Chunsheng, you're already trying out new dishes on the second day of the Lunar New Year. You're working so hard." Yunniang quickly took the bags from Li Chunsheng as he returned carrying them.

"It's alright, sister-in-law. We're just trying to make a living."

Li Chunsheng washed his hands and began to process the pork tenderloin. The essence of boiled pork slices lies in the first step of this process: the meat must be cut into large, even slices. It cannot be too thin, otherwise it will fall apart when scalded; it cannot be too thick, otherwise it will not absorb the flavor.

He put the sliced ​​meat into a bowl, added only a little salt and cooking wine to remove the fishy smell, and then began to knead it vigorously until the meat became sticky. Then he added ginger and scallion water in batches.

"Brother Chunsheng, how come all this water has gotten into the meat?" Ya Ya asked, staring blankly at the stove.

"This is called absorbing water," Li Chunsheng instructed as he worked. "The meat slices will be tender when cooked after absorbing enough water. Finally, add a handful of starch to lock in the moisture."

The fire in the stove was lit. Li Chunsheng first put dried chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns into an empty pot and slowly stir-fried them until they were dry. The spicy aroma became extremely strong under the heat. After stir-frying them until dry, he took them out and crushed them into powder.

Heat oil in a pan, add fermented bean paste, minced ginger, and sliced ​​garlic, stir-fry until the oil turns red, add water, and season with a little salt, sugar, and pepper.

For the base dish, he chose the most common yellow-hearted Chinese cabbage in Beiping at that time. The cabbage was blanched in the spicy soup and placed at the bottom of the porcelain bowl. Next, he evenly scooped the marinated meat slices into the pot.

These slices of meat should not be cooked for too long; they are done when they change color.

The slices of meat curled up, turning from white to red. They were then scooped out, piled on top of the cabbage, and then the thick, bright red broth was poured over them.

Finally, Li Chunsheng sprinkled a thick layer of freshly ground chili and Sichuan peppercorn powder, along with a handful of finely chopped garlic, on top of the meat slices.

In another small pot, the cooking oil had been heated to a temperature that produced blue smoke.

"Ya Ya, step back!"

Li Chunsheng gave a low shout and picked up the oil pot.

"Sizzle!!!"

As hot oil is poured over the ingredients, the entire kitchen is instantly filled with the numbing aroma of chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns activated by the high temperature, as well as the garlicky aroma that bursts forth as the minced garlic is fried.

White steam rises from the porcelain bowl, filling the air with a fragrant aroma!

Yunniang couldn't help but cough twice, but then she sniffed hard: "It smells so good!"

That pot of boiled pork slices, with hot oil still sizzling on the surface, the pork slices half-hidden in the broth, looked so appetizing that it made one's forehead sweat and mouth water!

I cooked it myself last night!